I think it could also be because January follows December, which is (for many people) an unusually busy month. I never feel like I have enough time in December to get everything done before Christmas. After the excitement and craziness of the holidays, you're getting back into the routine, and there is nothing to gear up for (like a big holiday). Add that it's often cold and dreary, and it can make January feel like a long month.

Another reason is that most companies pay their staff at the end of the month, but a lot of companies will pay salaries a week or so earlier in December so people have money before the Christmas break. People tend to spend a lot over Christmas so will be left with less money to get by on in January and have to wait until the end of the month again before getting paid. This can make January seem like a really long month.

/r/OutOfTheLoop —
Have you ever seen a whole bunch of news stories/reddit posts/videos or anything else about some topic and you had no idea what everyone was going on about? Did you feel out of the loop? This subreddit is dedicated to helping you get up to speed with the recent trends and news.

2. Post must include context and resources in the body of the text

Context is key when trying to find a proper answer. The more we know about what you are asking, the better we can answer with more information.

Context - Add some words to your post so there is more to work with than a title. Words such as; what you saw, where you saw it, how often you saw it.

Resources - You obviously saw it somewhere; link to the thing that made you ask. Or include a screenshot.

3. No ad nauseum, recently reposted, or retired questions

Often times what you are asking has already been answered. Be sure to search the subreddit, Google, and KnowYourMeme before creating a new post.

Ad nauseum - The topic in question has been discussed extensively, and that those involved in the discussion have grown tired of it.

Recently reposted - A topic is popular and is posted multiple times within a short period of time.

Retired - The 'Big List of Retired Questions' is a wiki page created by the mods that lists overly asked questions that have been thoroughly answered. Duplicates of retired questions may be removed.

4. Top-level comments must be a genuine, unbiased, and coherent answer

People are here to find answers for their questions. If top-level comments are riddled with memes or non-answers then no one wins.

Genuine - Attempt to answer with words; don't pop in to tell users to search or drop a link without explanation.

Unbiased - Answer without putting your own twist of bias towards the answer. However, after you leave an unbiased response, you can add your own opinion as long as it's clearly marked, starting with "Biased:".

Coherent - Write in complete sentences that are clear about what you are trying to say.

5. Be nice, follow etiquette

This subreddit is supposed to be a helpful place for confused redditors.

Be nice - Be polite in your exchanges, vote based on whether a comment contributes to the discussion and not on whether you agree with the opinion, etc.